Propelling means for airplanes



Sept. 20, 1932 J. SQ'UIRES 1 PROPELLING MEANS FOR AIRPLANES 7 Filed April 6. 1929 4 Sheets-Shed 1 INVENTOR @727? 5% u 2 7 9,5 sY

pt-"2o 1932. isgumss 1,878,011

PROPELLING MEANS FOR AIRII'JANES Filed April 6. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 i i INVENTOR fakrzfi'guzres BY ATTOR Y5 Sept. 20, 1932. J. SQUIRES 1,873,011

rnoPELLINe MEANS FOR AIRPLANES' Filed April 5,1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3' E17. :EEEEI :E'ifqlE].

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OR EY Patented Sept. 20, 1932 JOHN SQUIRES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN 1PIt.OIELL'lIhTGr MEANS FOR AIRPLANES Application filed April 6, 1929. Serial No. 353,038.

This invention relates to aircraft propellers, and particularly to blade adjustment mechanisms for such propellers.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for simultaneously and correspondingly adjusting the blades of propellers rotatively about their longitudinal axes to'permit the pitch relation of the rotating blades to their plane of rotation to be varied.

Such an adjustment is desirable, as is recognized in the present state of the art, to facilitate taking off or other operations of an airplane, and to adapt the blades to exercise a retarding effect when desired, particularly in landing an airplane.

Another object is to so journal the blades of a propeller in the hub thereof as to permit their rotative adjustment about their longitudinal axes while the propeller is being driven, without undue resistance arising from centrifugal forcesinduced in the blades by their high velocity of rotation. These-and various other objects, the invention attains by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an end view of the hub member of the improved propeller, sectionally show- "9 ing the housing of one of the blade-adjusting gear trains carried by said hub, the plane of such section being indicated by the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 a view of the same in side elevation partially in section upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. V

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through one of the blade-receiving sockets of the propel- .ler. taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is another cross-sectional view of the same, taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and primarily showing certainelements of the mechanism for varying the pitch.

an airplane and showing how control of the blades is effected from the operators seat.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic end view of the blades showing a pitch adjustment thereof,

such as to substantially neutralize their pro pulsive effect in use.

- Fig. 5 is a view indicating in side elevation.

Fig. 7 is a similar diagrammatic end view showing the approximate position of adjustment of the blades for normal use. Y

Fig. 8 is a similar view, but showing an abnormally pronounced pitch of the blades for forward propulsion.

Fig. 9 similarly shows the blades, both adjusted to a substantially transverse relation to the plane of rotation, in which position they act merely to oppose rotation of the propeller without propulsive effect.

Fig. 10 discloses the blades in a reverse position to that illustrated in Fig. 8, adapting them to retard the advance of an air vehicle. 7 s

Fig. 11 shows a retarding position of the blades of less pronounced pitch than is illustrated in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional detail showing the mounting in the airplane body of a hand wheel acting upon a threaded control rod forthe blade adjusting mechanism.

Fig. 13 is an axial sectional view of one of the hub sockets, disclosing how a propeller blade is journaled in said 'sockct.

Fig. 14 is a similar view disclosing an alternative provision for journaling the blade.

In these views the reference character 1 designates the propeller drive shaft of an air plane, the latter being illustrated in dash lines in Fig. 5. 2 indicates a journal member for said shaft, which member may be a forward portion of the airplane body or a part of the motor driving the shaft 1. -Upon said shaft is secured a propeller comprising two (or more).blades 3 and a hub member 4, 5. The latter. as illustrated, comprises a sleeve 4, integrally formed with a pair of opposed radially projecting socket members 5. Said socket members receive the blade shanks 6, which, as best appears in Figs. 2, 13 and-14 are preferably tubular.

Screwbreaded into each socket is a sleeve 7 which, as will presently appear, is adapted through a rotative adjustment in the socket to regulate the spacing of the blade from the propeller shaft. The shanks 6 are rotatively adjustable in thesleeves 7, and a feature of me 4 the inventlon 1s employment of such antifriction means between said sleeves and shanks as will avoid undue resistance to such adjustment resulting from outwardly acting forces centrifugally produced in said blades. Thus, as best appears in Fig. 13, several sets of anti-friction bearings surround each shank 6 within each portion of the corresponding sleeve 7, each such bearing comprising a set-of balls 8 and inner and outer ball races 9 and 10. The race members 9 seat upon rings 11, each comprising complementary semi-cylindrical halves, set into an annular groove 12 in the shank 6, said rings being outwardlyflanged at their inner ends, as indicated at 13, to transmit to the race members 9 forces outv. ardly acting in the blades. Such forces will be transmitted through the balls 8 to the outer set of race members 10, and finally to internal annular shoulders 14 formed upon the sleeve 7. As best appears in Fig. 13, it is preferred to form the sleeve 7 in complementary semi-cylindrical halves to facilitate assembly of the anti-friction bearings therein, and to permit the provision of the internal complementary shoulder 14a between which and the upper shoulder 14 the upper race members 10 are securely retained. The modification of the blade mounting illustrated in Fig. 14 differs from the construction already described, only in elimination of the balls 8 and transmission of outwardly acting stresses from the propeller shank 6 to the sleeve 7 through a plurality of rings 15 of L shaped cross section, embracing the shank 6 and engaging a complementary set of outer L-shaped rings 16. The latter transmit the outward thrust from one to another, and finally to annular shoulders 17 formed internally upon said sleeve.

By thus employing a considerable number of paired annular members arranged in like sets and serving to carry both thrusts and annular loads to transmit the outwardly acting stresses from the propeller shanks to the sleeves which line the sockets, play is so obviated and pressures are so distributed as to reduce friction and thereby to avoid necessity for applying an excessive power to effect a desired rotati've adjustment of the blades and this in turn permits a relatively light and simple blade adjusting mechanism to be used.

The sleeves 7 are flanged at their inner ends, as indicated at 18, and the outward flanges 13 upon the inner rings 11, overlap the flanges 18, as clearly appearsin Figs. 13 and '14. Thus the sleeve 7 is so engaged through the flanges 18 and 13 with the shank 6, as to adapt said shank to be outwardly adjusted by said sleeve radially of the shaft 1, and the engagementstablished at 14 between the sleeve and races .10 provides for an adjustment of the blades 6 inwardly, in unison with the sleeve. Thus, the two blades may be readily adjusted relative to the propeller axis, to establish balance, so far as concerns their distance from said axis of rotation of eter of said shank, being spaced inwardly from thecorresponding sleeve 7, as best appears in Fig. 13. Oppositely to said gear, each socket member 5 exteriorly carries a housing 23, opening into said socket member to permit driving engagement with said gear of a worm 24, mounted in said housing against axial movement. The shaft 25 of said worm also carries a pinion 26, driven by a gear 27 on a parallel shaft 28. The latter further carries a pinion 29 engaged by an actuating rack 30, slidable in the housing 23. Said housing is proportioned to enclose the entire described gear train, and may, as appears in Fig. 1, be formed of several parts to facilitate assembly of the gears therein. The described gear train and rack are duplicated at opposite sides of the propeller axes, and the two racks are actuable in common by a collar slidable upon the sleeve 4, com prising inner and outer rings 31 and 32, the former rotatable with said sleeve, and the latter restrained from rotation, as will presently appear. The ring 31 is formed at opposite. points thereof, with outwardly projecting lugs 33 to which are bolted or otherwise secured a pair of brackets 34, carrying threaded forwardly projecting studs 35. The latter are connected to the rack bars 30by turn buckle sleeves 36, engaging the threads of said studs and also engaging reverse threads formed upon the rear end portions 37 of said rack bars. Said sleevesprovidc for an adjustment adapting the rack bars to be variously spaced from the collar 31, 32. Lock nuts 38, associated with the sleeve 36, maintain any desired adjustment. Suitable anti-friction means 39 may be interposed between the stationary and rotative parts of the collar 31 32.

For sliding said collar upon the sleeve 4,

a pair of links 40 are pivoted at 41 to the ring 32, at opposite sides of the shaft 1, said links extending rearwardly or toward the journal bearing 2, and being connected to a pair of arcuate rock arms 42 pivoted at 43 upon the member 2, above the shaft 1, forming a bell-crank lever in conjunction with an arm 44, upwardly extending from their pivotal ends. From the arm 44, a control rod 45 extends re'arwardly into the body of the airplane, (or other aircraft), and terminates in a threaded portion adjacent to the operators seat, (see Fig. Said portion is engaged by a feed nut 46, 'ournaled in a collar 47 secured to a bracket48, carried by the airplane body, and a hand wheel 49 is rigidly carried by said feed nut.

It may be noted here that the openings 50 in the housing 23, through which the bolts 51 extend 'to secure the housing 23 to the sleeve -5, are elongated radially ofthe shaft 1, and the openings 52 in the bracket 34, through which the bolts 53 extend to secure the bracket 34 to the lug 33 on the ring 31, are similarly elongated. This is done in order that radial adjustment of the propeller blade may be accomplished, as previously described, without disturbing the operative relationship which exists between the worm 24 and worm wheel 22, the housing 23 and rack being thus capable of radial adjustment with the corresponding blade 30 to maintain such relationship.

In the operation ofthe described mechanism, when it is desired to vary the-pitch of the propeller blades, preliminary to-taking off, during flight or in the process of landing, the operator manipulates the hand wheel 49 to shift the control rod forwardly or rearwardly, according as an increase or decrease of blade pitch is desired. This effects a rocking of the bell-crank 44, 42 upon its pivot 43, whereby the collar 31, 32 is slid forward or back through the links 40. During such shifting as at other times, the ring 32 is free to rotate withthe sleeve 4. The rack bars 30, While rotating with the propeller, are shifted forwardly or rearwardly in unison,

; according to the direction of actuation of the collar 31, 32, and the two gear trains 29, 27,

26, 24 and 22 are thus energized to correspondingly and concurrently rock the blade shanks 6. The described multiple anti-friction mounting of said shanks in the hub sockets permits such rocking without requiring an undue application of force to over-' come the'friction set up in the mounting as a result of the high centrifugal forces built a up by rotation of the propeller. The blades maintainany adjusted position because the described control mechanism is non-reversible. That is to say, the worms 24 are .not responsive to rotative forces transmitted to 5 the gear segments 22 by the blades, nor is the control rod 45 responsive to any force that may tend to rock the bellcrank 44, 42.

By adapting the propeller blades, although resisting undesired rotation, to be thus ad 0 justed as regards their pitch, while the propeller is rotating, the operator is enabled to nicely adapt the propeller to such-changing flying conditions as may be encountered, and the:adaptibility thus obtained to retard' the advance of an airplane through reversing v the normal pitch relation of its blades to the plane of rotation is especially advantageous in shortening thelanding travel of an airplane, whereby it may alight in a more relsotrictedfield than would otherwise be'feasi- 1e.

The construction also permits replacement of the propeller blades with comparative dispatch and accuracy. In such replacement, as in the initial assembly of the propeller,

the turnbuckles 37 may be adjusted to bringthe pitch of one blade into accurate accordance with the pitch of the other blade, as will be readily recognized. I

It will also be apparent that with this construction, gear train, the worm gear, the rack and connecting linkages, it is easily possible to rotate each blade about its ownaxis to anydesired extent, thus permitting the-blades to be turned to any position through a full half circle as indicated in Figs. 6'to 11 inclusive, with all the advantages resulting therefrom.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described Without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is: l

1. An adjusting mechanism for propeller blades comprising a hub, a plurality of blades radially journaled upon said hub, elements carried by the inner ends of said blades for turning the blades about their radial axes,

a collar upon the hub, members extending from said collar, parallel to the hub axis at opposite sides of the hub, means for adjusting the lengths of said members,.actnating connections from said members to said drive elements upon the blades, said collar comprising an inner ring and an outer ring,

the inner ring being slidably mounted uponthe hub for rotation therewith, the outer ring being fixed against relative axial displacement with respect to the inner ring and the inner ring being rotatable within the outer ring, the members extending from the collar being fixed to the inner ring, and means for actuating the collar attached to the outer ring.

2. An adjusting mechanism for propeller blades comprising a hub, a plurality of blades radially journaled upon said hub, means for f zov independently adjusting said bladesto and from the hub axis, a common means for adjusting said blades about their radial axes, and individual means for independently adjust-ing saidblades relative to each other.

3. An adjusting mechanism for propeller blades comprising a hub, a plurality of blades radially journaled upon said hub, means for independently adjusting said blades to and from the hub axis, gear members carried by 1 the inner ends of said blades for rotatively by suitably proportioning the.

adjustingtheblades, gear trains establishing drive connections to said gear members, means permitting independent adjustment of said gear trains to;. and from the hub to compensate for radial adjustments of the propeller blades, and means for simultaneously actuating said gear trains.

4. An adjusting mechanism for propeller blades comprising a hub, a plurality of blades radially journalled upon said hub, means for independently adjusting-said blades toand from the hub axis, mechanisms for actuating the blades about their radial axes, mountings for said mechanisms adjustable to and from the hub axis, to compensate for corresponding blade adjustments, and a common drive means for said mechanisms.

5. A propeller comprising a hub having a I radial socket slitted radially toward the hub,

a sleeve radially adjustable in said socket, a propeller blade journaled in said sleeve,

- means for drawing the edges of the slit together to clamp said sleeve in a selective fixed position of radial adjustment, and means carried by the hub and engaging a part on said socket for rotatively adjusting said blade in said sleeve.

. 6. In a propeller, the .combination with a hub member having a radial socket, of a propeller blade having a shank journalled in said socket, a sleeve carried by said socket therewithin, adapted foradjustment to and from the axis of sa-idhub, and a plurality of multiple sets of anti-friction bearings arranged between said sleeve and shank acting to maintain'said shank against movement relative to said sleeve axially thereof.

7. In a propeller, in combination with a hub member having a radial socket of a pro peller blade having a shank journaled within said socket, 'a series of adjacent anti-friction bearings for both thrust'a'nd annular loads interposed between said shank and socket and adapted to transmit forces outwardly acting in said blade from one to another, and means carried by said socket for receiving outward stresses from the outermost of said bearings. 8. In a propeller organization subject to remote-control and in combination, a hub member provided with a radially extending socket, a blade having a shank received in said socket, a series of superimposed thrust bearings adapted to receive both thrust and annular loads and arranged between the outer end of said socket and said shank, a series of superimposed thrust bearings arranged in spaced relationship with the first mentioned series between said socket and said-shank, interengageable means on said shank and said hub for controlling the rotative position of said shank relative to its own axis.

9. In a propeller construction, a hollow hub havingradially projecting sockets, propeller blades journaled in the sockets respectively, each of the blades having a gear on its radially inner end which is disposed within the hub, the wall of the hub having an opening adjacent each of the gears, aux:

auxiliary housings for operating the gears and turning the propeller blades in their bearings.

10. In a propeller construction, a hollow hub having radially projecting sockets, propeller blades journaled in the sockets respectively, means for adjusting the blades radially with respect to the sockets, each of said propeller blades having a gear on its inner end located within the hub, said hub having openings in its walls adjacent the gears, auxiliary housings adjustably mounted on the hub in proximity to the openings in the hub wall, gear means within the auxiliary housings operatively connected to the gears on the propeller blades through the openings in the hub wall, and a common means for operating all of the gear mechanisms.

11, In a propeller construction, a hollow hub having radially projecting sockets, propeller blades journaled in the sockets respectively, means for adjusting the blades radially with respect to the sockets, each of said propeller blades having a gear on its inner end located within the hub, said hub having openings in its walls adjacent the gears, auxiliary housings adjustably mounted on the hub in proximity to the openings in the hub Wall, gear means within the auxiliary housings operatively connected to the gears on the propeller blades through the openings in the hub wall, and a common means for operating all of the gear mechanisms, the last mentioned means comprising rack bars projecting into the auxiliary housing and engaging pinions'therein, said rack bars being'f'adjustably supported on the hub in' such manner that they may be adjusted similarly to the adjusting of the auxiliary housings. 1 i p 12. In a propeller construction, a hub, blades having end portions projecting into the hub and journaled therein, and means for turnin the blades including rack bars geared to the %lades and each of said rack bars being composed of two sections having adjacent ends threaded, and a threaded sleeve engaging both members.

JOHN SQUIRES. 

